EIB Metropolitan Region Regional Review Report 2022.pdf

Acknowledgment of Country
The Department of Education acknowledges the Traditional Owner of the lands from across
Queensland. We pay our respects to the Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the
memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
across the state.
A better understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures develops
an enriched appreciation of Australia’s cultural heritage and can lead to reconciliation. This is
essential to the maturity of Australia as a nation and fundamental to the development of an
Australian identity.

2

link to page 4 link to page 4 link to page 5 link to page 7 link to page 9 link to page 10 link to page 10 link to page 13 link to page 14 link to page 14 link to page 17 link to page 20 link to page 23 link to page 26 link to page 29

1. Introduction
This report is a product of a review carried out by a review team from the Education
Improvement Branch (EIB) at Metropolitan Region from 28 March to 1 April 2022.
The report presents an evaluation of the region’s performance against the six domains of the
Education System Improvement Tool (ESIT). It also recommends improvement strategies for
the region to implement in consultation with the department and regional community.
The report’s executive summary outlines key findings from the review and key improvement
strategies that prioritise future directions for improvement.
For more information regarding the EIB and reviews for Queensland regions please visit the EIB
website.
1.1 Review team
Racquel Gibbons

Assistant Director General, EIB (review chair)
Stephen Bobby

Senior reviewer, EIB
Cameron Hodges

Senior reviewer, EIB
Paul Herschell

External reviewer, EIB
Kay Kirkman

Regional Director, Central Queensland Region
Hayley Stevenson
Assistant Director General, State Schools – Operations
Jan Carr
Assistant Regional Director, Far North Region
Terry Cornish
Assistant Regional Director, South East Region
Dr Grant Webb
Executive Director, Strategy, Innovation and Programs,
Early Childhood and Education Improvement
Darren Cook
Principal, Centenary Heights State High School
Emma Kriketos
Director, Principals School Leadership and External Validation,
School Performance South, New South Wales Department of
Education
Sam Byrne
Regional Manager, Teacher Learning Centre,
North Queensland Region
Bernadette Hanna

Director, EIB (secretariat)
Jemma Smith

Principal Advisor, EIB (secretariat)

4

1.2 Regional context
Education region:
Metropolitan Region
Ipswich
Regional office locations:
Mount Gravatt
Nundah
Year regional director appointed:
2021
256 schools
6 Outdoor and Environmental Education Centres
(O&EEC)
•  182 primary
•  47 secondary
•  6 combined – Prep to Year 12
Number of schools:
•  17 special schools
•  3 specific purpose – Barrett Adolescent
Centre Special School, Brisbane Youth
Education and Training Centre (BYETC),
Queensland Children’s Hospital School
•  School of Distance Education (SDE)
Number of schools with Early
Childhood Development Programs
(ECDP):
19 – 522 registrations as per Early Childhood
Development Program (ECDP) school data
It should be noted that this data is
reflection
point in time (11.39am 15/02/2022)
and changes daily
•  549 long day care
•  121 kindergartens excluding State Delivered
Number of Early Childhood
Kindergartens (SDK)
Education and Care services:
•  264 Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

•  47 family day care centres
•  7 unregulated early years services
5

173 211 comprising:
Student enrolments:
•  Primary – 104 362
•  Secondary – 68 849
8 786 students (5.07 per cent) comprising:
Indigenous enrolment percentage:
•  Primary – 5 247 (5.02 per cent)
•  Secondary – 3 539 (5.14 per cent)
5.8 per cent (10 098 students) with a verified
disability – Education Adjustment Program (EAP)
Students with disability enrolment
percentage:
14.8 per cent (25 849 students) – Nationally
Consistent Collection of Data on School Students
with Disability 2020 (NCCD)
Index of Community Socio-
Educational Advantage (ICSEA)
Average ICSEA for MER: 1036
median value*:
School ICSEA range:
851–1224
18 437.41 – total regional FTE including school
staff, regional office staff, corporate staff, and
people and executive services division staff
•  18 139 – school FTE (as at 01/01/2022)
•  156.01 – State schooling regional office FTE
Metropolitan region
(as at 23/02/2022)
Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff:
•  58.4 – Early Childhood Education and Care
(ECEC) regional office FTE (as at
24/02/2021)
•  37 – corporate staff FTE (as at 23/02/2022)
•  47 – People and corporate services FTE (as
at 01/01/2022)

6

1.3 Contributing stakeholders
The following stakeholders contributed to the review:
Regional office personnel:
•  Regional Director (RD), seven Assistant Regional Directors (ARD), four Lead Principals
(LP); Regional Services – director, five Principal Advisor Education Services (PAES),
two executive services officers, school Community Liaison Officer (CLO), principal
advisor – regulations, manager state schools operations – data; State Schools –
Strategy and  Performance – director, principal advisor student protection – students in
care and youth justice, court liaison officer, regional Youth Support Coordinator (YSC),
Principal Education Officer (PEO) – student engagement and wellbeing, PEO, senior
project officer Education Support Funding Program (ESFP) and refugee, project officer –
exclusion case manager, regional coordinator – complex case coordinator student
engagement, community participation officer, principal advisor, guidance officer –
student engagement and wellbeing, Education Officer – Special Duties (EOSD) –
restrictive practice standards, guidance officer – intensive behaviour early years,
guidance officer – intensive behaviour, inclusion capability manager, inclusion capability
facilitator, executive services officer, two principal advisors for Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD), principal advisor Auslan, 18 senior guidance officers, Speech Language
Pathologist (SLP) in charge, four senior advisors – speech language therapy, senior
advisor – occupational therapy, senior advisor – speech language pathology, speech
pathologist, senior advisor student wellbeing; State Schooling – Teaching and
Learning – director, regional Teacher Learning Centre (TLC) manager, three managers
capability TLC, manager teaching and learning, executive services officer, principal
advisor early years Head of Department – Curriculum (HOD-C), six Principal Advisors
Teaching and Learning (PATaL), principal advisor Indigenous English as an Additional
Language or Dialect (IEAL/D), PEO principal capability, deputy principal – regional youth
engagement, deputy principal – Solid Pathways (Queensland Certificate of Education
(QCE)/ Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA), two transition
pathways officers QPSC, English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)
coordinator – secondary schools), three regional schools sports officers, regional school
support officer, regional music coordinator, principal advisor Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Education, two regional Community Education Counsellors (CEC), two regional
Community Partnership Officers (CPO); Early Childhood Education and Care –
director – capability development team, project manager, senior project officer, project
officer, manager, principal advisor, two early years coaches, administration officer, five
partnerships facilitators, early childhood authorised officer, director – regulation), early
childhood officer, senior business and communications officer; Infrastructure –
manager, infrastructure advisor; Finance – manager, principal finance officer; Human
Resources – director HR business partner, senior HR consultant and senior regional
health and safety; Information Technology – two customer service managers.
Metropolitan school personnel:
•  182 principals, 2 heads of school/campus, 20 deputy principals, HOD – Special
Education Training Alliance (SETA), Head of Special Education Services (HOSES),
guidance officer, EAL/D regional coordinator and eight regional CECs.

7

Departmental representatives, key stakeholders and education partners:
•  Deputy Director General (DDG) – State Schools, DDG – policy, performance and
planning, chief finance officer, executive director finance and assurance services,
Metropolitan North Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) representative, associate
professor in Metropolitan Trauma Community Learning – Queensland University of
Technology (QUT), director – finance and assurance services, director – office of the
DDG State Schools, director – ministerial executive services unit, director – media,
president of the Queensland Association of Combined Sector Leaders (QACSL),
president of the Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association (QSPA), president of the
Queensland Association of Special Education Leaders Inc. (QASEL) and president of
the Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP).
Government, community and business groups:
•  State Member for Ferny Grove, State Member for Greenslopes, State Member for
Ipswich, State Member for Jordan, State Member for Lytton, State Member for Petrie,
State Member for Stretton, State Member for Mansfield and area coordinator Kids
Capers Childcare.

8

1.4 Supporting documentary evidence
Region Organisational Structure
MER ARD school allocation
Region Operational Plan 2022
Metropolitan Communities of Practice 2022
Region Strategic Plan 2021–2024
MetroConnect
MER Engagement Framework
2022 Learning Needs Analysis Survey
Metropolitan region Year 12 Outcomes
Regional Data Profile Semester 1, 2021
MER School Opinion Survey report 2021
Connect 4 Children strategy
Working for Queensland survey results 2021
Metropolitan – Complex Care 2022
Early Childhood Sector Profile
Regional Request for Support 2022 template
NAPLAN performance 2019 vs 2021
ARD School visit feedback example
Metropolitan – Success for All student
Student Services Request for Support 2022
Services placemat
fact sheet
MER Regional workforce capability packages  Student Services: Tiered model of Support
review 2018–21
2022
Every student with disability succeeding –
Student Services Dashboard – Students with
Regional data reflection – April 2021
Disability
Metropolitan – Every Student with Disability
Student Services Dashboard – Students in
Succeeding Plan 2022
Care
Metropolitan Communities of Learning
Draft Commissioning of Support in
(COLs) 2022
Metropolitan Region
Metropolitan – Student Services: A Shared
MER workforce package 2021–2022
Understanding of Regional Case
Management (RCM)

9

2. Executive summary
2.1 Key findings
Metropolitan Region, led strongly and passionately by the Regional Director (RD), has
developed a culture of trust and belief in student improvement and giving every child a
great start.
A strong moral purpose amongst all staff exists regarding the importance of service delivery and
success for all children, students and young people. The region’s values of ‘Care and Enable’
are well understood and established through the focus on building strong relationships and
being responsive to client needs. ‘Care and Enable’ is additionally demonstrated through the
region’s deliberate and relentless focus on children and student outcomes, and challenging
performance.
Principals and school leaders articulate many positive changes over the past 12 months that
have contributed to the strong regional culture of ‘Care and Enable’. Most commonly cited are
the high visibility of the RD, the strong focus on relationships/wellbeing between the regional
team and early childhood services and schools, and opportunities for authentic engagement of
principal voice in regional work.
The region’s priority for 2022 is to ensure that every child receives their entitlement to
the Australian Curriculum (AC), and achieves a ‘C’ or above in English and Queensland
Certificate of Education (QCE) attainment in the senior years.
The region has established clear expectations articulated by school leaders that every school
will have a curriculum, assessment and reporting plan, engage in internal and external
moderation, and implement case management processes. Principal Advisors – Teaching and
Learning (PATaL) work with Assistant Regional Directors (ARD) and schools to support the
implementation of these priorities.
The Regional Leadership Team (RLT) has an unrelenting focus on improving the
educational outcomes for all children and students within the region.
Their united belief is that this is achievable through gathering evidence on the progress of
individual students, developing teacher expertise in curriculum and assessment, and informed
intervention through effective case management. Some regional leaders refer to a cultural shift
from looking at data to using data to inform strategy and intervention. The RD and RLT have a
fundamental belief that all strategic decisions within the region are based on data and focus on
improving the outcomes of students and children.
Each year the ARD leadership team commits to a leadership challenge to ensure
effective implementation of the regional priorities.
The 2021 leadership challenge was ‘Every school has a plan to deliver the AC and every school
is engaged in external moderation’. Many schools communicate that external moderation is yet
to commence. The 2022 leadership challenge is ‘Every teacher has an opportunity to engage in
M1 and every school has student case management processes’. Some principals express a
desire for greater clarity regarding the appropriate model of moderation and ensuring regional
support aligns to the model.

10

Regional leaders express a commitment to the development of effective leadership at all
levels.
The region identifies that ‘growing the capability of their people to have the skil s, knowledge
and support to perform at the highest level every day’ is key to the regional improvement
strategy. The common vision of ‘Success for Al ’ connects the work of teams and provides the
opportunity to build the capability of all levels of leadership within the region.
As part of the region’s revised governance structure there are eight advisory groups and
a Principals’ Congress with regional and principal representation that meet termly.
The advisory groups have recently undergone a series of changes including membership,
purpose and alignment. Advisory groups are now chaired by an ARD and the Principals’
Congress is chaired by the RD. Further opportunity exists to investigate how these groups have
the most impact on regional priorities. There is broad representation on the advisory groups and
congress including from small and large primary and high schools, special schools and Outdoor
and Environmental Education Centres (O&EEC). A sense of optimism that this governance
structure is able to achieve a strong collaborative partnership between schools and the region is
apparent. Principals express that they would value further clarification in relation to the
feedback and feed-forward expectations of these groups.
Regional team members express a collective appetite for working collaboratively across
teams to ensure the service provided to schools and early learning centres is of a high
standard and leading to improved outcomes for students and children.
Regional and school leaders articulate appreciation for the autonomy encouraged in the
development of professional learning focused partnerships and groups within and beyond the
region. A number of schools express a degree of uncertainty regarding how to effectively
establish and participate in clusters or groups of like schools. They indicate they would
appreciate targeted support, guidelines and direction in gaining the most out of their
collaborative arrangements.
Principals articulate a high level of satisfaction with the targeted support provided by
regional education services.
Principals advise there are multiple pathways to access this support. Some principals and
regional staff express the belief that there is a lack of clarity as to the most appropriate pathway
to access this support, and there is a risk that the support is not always coordinated. Variation in
the approach, responsiveness and quality of support from the corporate services area is
articulated.
The current approach to providing a range of support services to schools is predominantly
deemed to work well to provide schools with the support they require. Metropolitan Region is
pursuing a structured, strategic and data-informed approach to commissioning both human and
material resources to address perceived disconnect in service provision, and to better align
services to the region’s priorities. The region is developing the ‘Commissioning of Support in
Metropolitan Region’ to operationalise this.

11

Regional staff and school leaders display strong understanding and implementation of
both curriculum and assessment practices, and the interconnection between them.
Most principals indicate that to achieve the desired lift in academic outcomes there needs to be
greater focus on, and support for, developing teacher pedagogy. Most principals indicate that
the use of evidence-informed pedagogical practices is driven from within schools rather than the
region. A number of school leaders comment that ARDs actively promote the use of visible
learning strategies. School leaders articulate that the emphasis on curriculum implementation,
moderation practices and performance could be mirrored in a regional focus on pedagogy to
suit the local context of each school. An understanding of the interconnection of curriculum,
assessment and pedagogical practice for improving the quality of teaching is yet to be apparent
within regional priorities. School leaders comment that they would welcome an increased focus
and implementation support from the region in the use of high-yield evidence-based
pedagogical practices.
ARDs place a high priority on working collaboratively as a team.
The regional values of ‘Care and Enable’ and the system’s strategies of ‘A great start for every
child, and every student succeeding’, underpin the ARDs’ work as a team. Senior leaders utilise
these agreed principles to challenge and support each other and drive their capability
development. They articulate a high level of trust and value the significant shift in the RLT
approach. They demonstrate an intentional focus on collaborative learning in relation to the
delivery of regional priorities, positioning ARDs as lead-learners in the region. The ARD team
has a strong culture of self-improvement and building effective instructional leadership skills.
They participate in co-visits to learn from one another and share practice with the RLT. The
work of the ARD is highly valued by school leaders. They describe a good balance between
care and challenge in their work.
The region has established a diverse range of collaborative networks and partnerships
focused on building professional capability, wellbeing, and improving outcomes for
students and children.
Regional staff members, principals and the wider educational community speak positively of the
region’s ability to foster and support collaborations from which schools and early learning
centres may learn and grow. The region has identified a clear and sharp focus for region-wide
improvement in relation to A-C Levels of Achievement (LOA) in English. This is reflected in the
focus of the full range of collaborative networks and groups supported across the region that
aim to achieve improvements in this area.

12

2.2 Key improvement strategies
Develop ways, as an RLT, to quality assure the effectiveness of the implementation of regional
expectations and develop a shared understanding of instructional leadership.
Collaboratively develop, coordinate and communicate a differentiated, targeted and strengths-
based leadership framework aligned to regional priorities.
Strengthen and communicate the roles and responsibilities of members of all advisory groups,
including the Principals’ Congress, to include expectations for feedback and feed-forward.
Provide clear advice and support to schools in establishing and participating in effective
collaborative teaching and learning communities to share best practice, achieve regional
priorities and celebrate success.
Provide clarification and further communication regarding the commissioning process to
improve understanding and transparency across regional teams and schools.
Extend the focus from curriculum and assessment to enhancing pedagogical practice to drive
continuous improvement in quality teaching and student outcomes.

13

3. Findings and improvement strategies against the domains
3.1 Clarity of vision and purpose
Findings
Metropolitan Region, led strongly and passionately by the RD, has developed a culture of trust
and belief in improvement for all children and students. A strong moral purpose exists amongst
all staff regarding the importance of service delivery and success for all children, students and
young people.
The region’s values of ‘Care and Enable’ are well understood and established through the focus
on building strong relationships and being responsive to client needs. ‘Care and Enable’ is
additionally demonstrated through the region’s deliberate and relentless focus on children and
student outcomes and challenging performance.
Principals and school leaders articulate many positive changes over the past 12 months that
have contributed to the strong regional culture of ‘Care and Enable’. Most commonly cited are
the high visibility of the RD, the strong focus on relationships/wellbeing between the regional
team and schools, and opportunities for authentic engagement of principal voice in regional
work. Regional staff – outside of the RLT, express a desire to have similar opportunities to
provide feedback on regional work.
A strong sense of accountability through the use of data amongst leaders in the region is
apparent. The region has used data as a way to build a strong ‘why’ and inform the priorities
and targets for 2022. The 2022 targets were developed in reference to previous targets
resulting in some incremental increases from 2020-2021. Previous A-C English data indicates
that in Prep to Year 2, Metropolitan Region results have plateaued at less than 84 per cent, and
Years 7 to 9 data was at 84 per cent and declining. QCE attainment in 2020 was 91.8 per cent
and increased to 98.2 per cent in 2021.
The region’s priority for 2022 is to ensure that every child receives their entitlement to the AC,
achieves a ‘C’ or above in English, and QCE attainment in the senior years. The region has
established clear expectations articulated by school leaders that every school will have a
curriculum assessment and reporting plan, engage in internal and external moderation, and
implement case management processes. PATaLs work with ARDs and schools to support the
implementation of these priorities. Some regional staff express that they are yet to be able to
clearly identify themselves or their role in contributing to the achievement of these priorities.
The region has set targets for ‘C’ or above in English. Each schools’ progress towards this
target is monitored as a way to differentiate ARD and regional support, and to celebrate
achievement. Some schools have exceeded the target and discuss focusing on moving C’s to
B’s, and B’s to A’s.
Principals display a strong moral purpose towards ensuring that all students achieve a ‘C’ or
above in English and view this as a critical focus for the region. Some principals whose data far
exceeds this target are perceived to have less urgency and accountability. They communicate
that they frequently don’t view regional priorities as part of their work. Some principals with
highly complex students express a desire to access further expertise and/or support to find
solutions to ensure every student succeeds. For some schools there is a lack of clarity and
transparency in how to engage expertise and resources from student services to support
14

schools and students’ needs. It is acknowledged by the region and principals that there is a
need to move towards a more targeted and equitable, not equal, support model.
‘What if we won’t?’ is a regional strategy to target the reduction in Prep School Disciplinary
Absences (SDAs). Principals are able to discuss this strategy and the interventions to support
Prep students at risk of receiving a SDA. The principal, ARD, student services and regional
Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) staff collaborate to build comprehensive profiles of
students who have received SDAs to assist in shaping the appropriate support required to
ensure a successful school experience.
The regional ECEC team expresses the belief that the sharp and narrow focus on a great start
through success in English and reduced Prep SDAs has elevated their work in the region. They
are working closely with ARDs, schools and early childhood services, and feel empowered to
make a difference.
Regional and school staff are engaged by the sharp and narrow focus on outcomes for children
and students. They discuss the shift in the region from compliance to school improvement.
A newly developed governance structure is operating within the region. The RLT meets
fortnightly for a full day and consists of the RD, ARDs, directors and heads of corporate
services. A team of ARDs was engaged in a process to research and develop an effective full-
day structure to meet the needs of the team leading towards an impact on school improvement.
ARDs travelled to other regions to observe and discuss their processes prior to developing their
own. The agenda includes professional learning, case management, feedback from advisory
groups and workshopping focus areas.
Eight advisory groups with regional and principal representation meet once per term. The
advisory groups have recently undergone a series of changes including membership, purpose
and alignment. Advisory groups are now chaired by an ARD. There is further opportunity to
investigate how these groups have the most impact on regional priorities.
A Principals’ Congress was established in 2021 as a mechanism to bring strong and authentic
voice to the region. The congress is chaired by the RD. Principals were able to nominate to be a
representative. There is broad representation on the congress committee including from small
and large primary and high schools, special schools and O&EECs. Principals on the congress
express feeling that their view and opinion are highly valued and articulate appreciation for the
opportunity to work directly with the RD. A strong sense of optimism for what this group may
achieve as a strong collaborative partnership between schools and the region is apparent.
Principals articulate they would value further clarification on the feedback and feed-forward
expectations of this group. Many principals express that they are yet to be aware of who their
representative is and how they are able to contribute if they not a member of the congress.
Each year the ARD leadership team commits to a leadership challenge to ensure effective
implementation of the regional priorities. In 2021 the leadership challenge was ‘Every school
has a plan to deliver the AC and every school is engaged in external moderation’. Many schools
communicate that external moderation is yet to commence. In 2022 the leadership challenge is
‘Every teacher has an opportunity to engage in M1 and every school has student case
management processes’. Some principals express a desire for greater clarity regarding the
appropriate moderation model and ensuring regional support aligns to the model.
The ARD team has a strong culture of self-improvement and building effective instructional
leadership skills. They participate in co-visits to learn from one another and share practice with
15

the RLT. The work of the ARD is highly valued by school leaders. They communicate a good
balance between care and challenge in their work. Leaders discuss their school visit including
focused data discussion on A-C English achievement and classroom visits. Some principals
articulate that classroom visits only occur if time permits. Some ARDs have begun facilitating
collaborative communities with a shared purpose, including learning walks and talks by school
leaders and teachers. School leaders speak highly of the strong learnings from these
opportunities. Many principals speak of working in parallel and express a strong desire to work
with schools in a more authentic and rigorous way. Some principals express a strong desire for
greater co-design of school visits from ARDs/Lead Principals (LP).
The RD undertakes ‘ride-alongs’ with all ARDs. School leaders articulate valuing the opportunity
to have the RD in their school and ARDs express valuing the feedback provided to further
enhance their practice.
Improvement strategies
Develop ways, as an RLT, to quality assure the effectiveness of the implementation of regional
expectations and develop a shared understanding of instructional leadership.
Strengthen and communicate the roles and responsibilities of members of all advisory groups,
including the Principals’ Congress, to include expectations for feedback and feed-forward.
Develop shared expectations for the facilitation of collaborative communities to share practice
and build expertise across schools and services.
Develop a process to regularly seek regional staff voice and feedback on key work.

16

3.2 Enabling effective leadership
Findings
Regional leaders express commitment to the development of effective leadership at all levels, in
schools, early learning centres and regional office contexts, to support the region’s Strategic
Plan 2021–2024. This is apparent through one of the region’s objectives of ‘Capable People
delivering Responsive Services’. The region identifies that ‘growing the capability of their people
to have the skills, knowledge and support to perform at the highest level every day’ is key to
their regional improvement strategy. The common vision of ‘Success for Al ’ connects the work
of teams and provides the opportunity to build the capability of all levels of leadership within the
region.
ARDs place a high priority on working collaboratively as a team. The region’s values of ‘Care
and Enable’ and moral purpose of ‘A great start for every child, and every student succeeding’,
underpin their actions. Senior leaders utilise these agreed principles to challenge and support
each other and drive their capability development. They articulate a high level of trust and value
the significant shift in the RLT approach. They demonstrate an intentional focus on collaborative
learning in relation to the delivery of regional priorities, positioning ARDs as lead-learners in the
region. Feedback indicates ARDs deliver a consistent message to principals and schools.
ARDs indicate a high level of contact with their allocated schools, principals and leadership
teams. School visits align to the agreed focus/agenda for each term as identified by the RLT.
Some principals comment that these agendas are flexible and responsive to school needs.
ARDs articulate their use of school-based visits to challenge principals to ensure data-informed
leadership and practices. The majority of principals express valuing the shift from compliance to
coaching and communicate increasing levels of trust and engagement. Principals articulate that
methods for follow-up discussions, feedback and provisioning/commissioning support vary
across schools.
Most principals express that supervision is experienced as a supportive professional
relationship. Principals articulate the importance of ARDs having consistent, yet differentiated
Ways of Working (WOW). Some principals seek greater differentiation of approaches to better
consider principal experience, school context and improvement agendas. Some principals
express a willingness to engage in more rigorous professional dialogue with the ARD to foster
principal leadership skills and grow a stronger culture of shared accountability.
Principals and regional staff acknowledge that the intent of the Annual Performance Review
(APR) process is to identify opportunities to build their capability and leadership. For some, the
APR process authentically supports ongoing growth conversations with their ARDs or line
managers. For others, the APR is considered a process to be undertaken to meet departmental
requirements. The development and monitoring processes regarding APR plans vary and are
yet to be articulated.
Many stakeholders acknowledge the need for the region to develop a more strategic approach
to leadership development and make clear the roles, responsibilities, accountabilities and
measures for monitoring performance. Some stakeholders express the belief that the next piece
of work is in targeted experiences for aspiring deputy principals to engage in structured and
strategic opportunities that will support their advancement to the principalship position.
17

The region does is yet to have a clearly defined leadership capability framework. A range of
documents exists outlining leadership development strategies and opportunities. These include
the Metropolitan Regional Guide to Leadership Development 2022, Targeted Programs for
Leadership Streams, Metropolitan Communities of Learning (COLs) 2022 and Communities of
Practice (CoP) 2022. These documents outline the region’s planned activities to engage school
and regional staff in leadership and capability development. These documents are yet to appear
to be widely known by principals and regional staff members. Several personnel are able to
identify activities that they have participated in.
The region has supported the implementation of a well-regarded program titled ‘The Project is
Me’. This 18-month program aims to develop ‘the how’ of leadership. In 2021, 35 principals and
deputy principals completed the course. Participants articulate high levels of satisfaction. Some
school leaders are yet to be aware of the program and the selection process.
Many principals acknowledge that the region offers and promotes coaching and mentoring
opportunities to build the leadership capacity of aspiring and middle leaders in schools. The
identified program is delivered in concert with central office and opens 50 places, predominantly
to aspiring deputy principals and new principals, linking them to experienced colleagues. Places
are also allocated for staff from regional teams.
The region sponsors the Metropolitan Aspiring Leaders Program. This program has operated
for 17 years and targets aspiring teachers, Heads of Department (HOD) and deputy principals
seeking promotion, using ‘strength finders’. The program is strongly supported by experienced
principals, providing access to external experts and enhancing localised Professional
Development (PD) networks.
The region provides and facilitates a range of advisory groups consisting of principals and
regional staff. The broader aim is to promote a culture of collegial learning and distributed
leadership where principal voice is apparent in the strategic direction of the region. A number of
principals articulate appreciation for these opportunities to build their capability and contribute to
the region’s improvement agenda.
A significant number of alliances and clusters in the region place emphasis on the leadership
growth of principals and other leaders in schools. A number of clusters, typically formed on a
geographical basis or a common agenda, are able to describe initiatives they have developed to
foster learning. For those involved in cluster arrangements, many principals speak of the
positive value of authentic collaboration opportunities. Some principals utilise their cluster to
source and fund programs. In some clusters, collaboration extends to middle leaders to support
the agendas occurring within their schools. Many principals across the region indicate they are
yet to have the same opportunities for collaboration with other schools and would welcome
further opportunities to work together and share best practice, aligned to an evidence-based
framework, to support high quality and authentic collaboration.
The work of the early childhood team is highly regarded. They work closely with the sector to
support capability development of educators aligned to the system priorities of increasing
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in kindergarten and supporting successful
inclusion practices. They effectively use data to inform where to focus training, assess the
quality of the program they deliver, and measure the impact though early childhood data sets.
These include participation rates and regulation data focusing on Quality Area 6.
18

The ECEC culture and community team works to build culturally inclusive services through
extensive capability development. The team has built a strong relationship with environmental
education centres to deliver cultural insights workshops that include ‘Walking on Country.’ They
additionally conduct outdoor classroom days as an opportunity for educators to observe the
work in action. Using the data from Connect 4 Children, the team has also developed and
facilitated five clusters to further build on their learnings and includes one face-to-face meeting
and one online meeting per term. The region has seen a 5 per cent increase in Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander children participating in kindergarten over the past year.
The regional ECEC team delivers a two-part workshop for early years educators on inclusive
practices supported by multiple external partners. This ensures that services have a quality
Service Inclusion Plan (SIP) in place.
The team has a strong focus on building the capability of early years educators to improve
pedagogy through the use of the 3a approach. Services have been targeted and invited to
attend, with a focus on communities with high vulnerability rates.
Principals and regional office staff members new to the region or to their role identify
considerable variance regarding induction. Many identify that induction typically operates in
partnership with central office and includes acquisition of basic knowledge related to matters of
compliance. A small number of recent appointments to regional positions articulate satisfaction
with the process of induction, including learning about issues of compliance, in addition to being
linked to a professional mentor. Most identify this as an improvement on previous induction
processes. Regional team members and school leaders recognise that induction is yet to be
systematically designed and implemented for newly appointed staff.
Key regional messages linked to sharing information and building capability in principals across
the region are distributed via MetroConnect. Principals indicate a desire for a more concise and
user-friendly resource and communication tool.
Improvement strategies
Collaboratively develop, coordinate and communicate a differentiated, targeted and strengths-
based leadership framework aligned to regional priorities.
Enhance the APR process to model consistent and rigorous implementation of all phases and
investment in strengths-based practices.
Utilise the APR process to identify, nurture and grow leaders and, in particular, middle leaders
through universal and targeted professional learning opportunities.
Collaboratively develop an authentic and differentiated induction program for beginning
principals and personnel new to the region, or their roles, and implement with fidelity.

19

3.3 Evidence-based policy and practice
Findings
The RLT has an unrelenting focus on improving the educational outcomes for all students and
children within the region. Their united belief is that this is achievable by gathering evidence on
the strengths of individual students, teachers with an appropriate curriculum and assessment
knowledge base, and informed intervention through effective case management. Some regional
leaders refer to a cultural shift from looking at data to using data to inform strategy and
intervention.
The RD and RLT detail a fundamental belief that all strategic decisions within the region are
based on data and a focus on improving the outcomes of students and children. Key regional
policies are developed through a combination of research, alignment with government policy,
and evidence-based practice by key regional leaders. These are endorsed through a
developing governance structure.
The implementation of policy through the development of region-agreed practices is facilitated
and communicated through a range of avenues. There are professional collegial learning
groups and advisory groups that provide an opportunity to develop common approaches in
utilising data to improve students and children’s outcomes.
A number of agreed practices are aligned to moderation. The understanding amongst school
leaders of the expected practice in using some data sets to inform teaching and learning, and
appropriate interventions currently varies.
Many school leaders and RLT members reference the work of Lyn Sharratt1 and ‘FACES on the
data’ as being the research base behind case management. Practices amongst schools and
those articulated by ARDs vary. Some school leaders refer to tracking of at risk students as an
expected case management practice. The development of agreed non-negotiables for case
management practices to be implemented in all schools with an associated professional
learning plan and inbuilt Quality Assurance (QA) process is yet to be embedded.
The Metropolitan Regional K-12 Data Plan 2022 clearly outlines the measures, regional targets,
monitoring, WOW with schools, governance and management for key data sets in relation to
the achievement, engagement, wellbeing and transition of students and children. The RLT
establishes and communicates regional targets included within the plan.
The plan explicitly states the key responsibilities of teachers, school leaders and regional
leaders in working with the identified data sets in alignment with the School Improvement
Hierarchy (SIH). The timelines associated with collection, dissemination and evaluation of each
data set are yet to be included in the published data plan. The tools that are utilised to analyse
each data set, and the specific regional members with the responsibility to do so, are yet to be
specified within the plan. The region currently has a number of RLT members and other staff
involved in data collection, analysis and communication across the region. A coordinated role is
yet to be apparent.
An allocated RLT member works closely with a manager in generating a range of creative
visuals to share and communicate key data sets aligned to the regional targets. The manager

1 Sharratt, L., & Fullan, M. (2012). Putting FACES on the data: What great leaders do!. Corwin.
20

also provides data analysis to inform the allocation of some wellbeing resources to schools and
services for other members of the RLT, and specific data requests from advisory groups. The
data manager is pivotal in responding to data requests from ARDs, school clusters and CoPs, in
addition to supporting the capability of regional staff in identifying, sharing and analysing data to
highlight key areas of focus. The RLT has an established review cycle for the annual data plan,
and principals express appreciation for the continuity of focus of key regional targets, in
particular A-C LOA in English and QCE attainment.
The RD expresses a strong belief that the focus on student performance data within each
school should be on the specific number of students rather than solely percentages due to the
significant size and continual growth of the region. This is underpinned by the belief that every
student and child is entitled to a great start and access to the AC.
The early childhood team uses a range of data to frame their work including Australian Early
Development Census (AEDC), transitions, kindergarten participation and Prep SDA data. The
region additionally uses appropriate non-confidential regulatory data to supplement the core
non-regulatory data.
At the end of 2021, the early childhood team implemented a survey for all schools and the
analysis of this qualitative and quantitative data supported the development of their 2022 work
plan. Members of the team are continuously developing their data literacy skills.
The region utilises a range of centralised data management systems and survey tools to collect,
analyse and interpret key quantitative and qualitative data sets aligned to region and system
priorities. Data literacy capability development is an ongoing focus for RLT members and school
leaders. OneSchool and School Online Reporting Dashboard (SORD) are used to generate key
data sets from state and national assessments at a state, regional and school level.
The implementation of SORD has allowed for greater granularity in data analysis at a school
level and has provided the opportunity for all schools and school leaders to compare individual
performance to the region and like schools. Varying levels of expertise and confidence in the
use of SORD amongst school and regional leaders are apparent. The region has a number of
collaboratively developed targets focused on school improvement at a region, school and
individual student level. These targets are communicated to school leaders through multiple
forums including the regional strategic plan, the 2022 regional operational plan, school leader
meetings and through structured ARD visits to all schools. The 2022 targets were developed in
reference to previous targets resulting in some incremental increases from 2021. Knowledge of
the specific focus on Prep to Year 2 English is strong with knowledge of the Years 7 to 9
English target emerging.
Regularly scheduled school leader meetings are utilised by the RD to highlight the improvement
of the region against established targets. The key 2021 celebrations regarding improvements in
data are compared to other regions and state averages. There was significant improvement in
QCE/Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA) attainment from 91.8 per cent in
2020 to 98.2 per cent in 2021. In 2021 there was a 2.3 per cent improvement in Prep to Year 2
A-C achievement that equated to over 1200 students.
The 2022 regional targets outlined in the K-12 data plan for achievement are: A-C in English,
QCE/QCIA attainment, attendance – engagement, SDAs, kindergarten participation and
retention across all junctures. The key wellbeing targets are Age-appropriate pedagogies (AAP)
in practice and identified questions in the annual School Opinion Survey (SOS). The use of
21

transition statements, key qualitative data regarding transition from Year 6 to Year 7, and post-
school transitions are the focus in measuring impact of transition programs across the region.
Strong knowledge exists amongst the RLT and wider regional staff of the targets and the moral
imperative behind these targets. Knowledge of the regional targets amongst leaders of schools
focuses on the targets relevant to their individual sectors.
ARDs, in conjunction with the RLT, analyse school performance against agreed criteria in order
to provide a differentiated support model. In negotiation with their ARD, each school sets
specific school targets at either a whole-school or cohort level. School leaders receive feedback
following most school visits with reference made to the school targets aligned to the regional
priorities. To develop greater precision in monitoring the A-C LOA targets, schools submit term
progress for English LOA, in addition to the semester reporting information that is available
through SORD. Many school leaders refer to the role the ARD plays in discussing the school’s
progress towards the targets and that this is a crucial component of all school visits. Following
school visits, ARDs provide a range of written feedback to school leaders. This feedback varies
and includes a summary of the visit, observations of practice from classroom visits, relevant
SORD and data sets, and questions/next steps for consideration.
At a regional level, RLT members develop individual student profiles to inform appropriate
interventions aligned to regional priorities. Some of these students are marker students within
the schools they support. This is exemplified by the analysis undertaken to support students
receiving SDAs in Prep. The regional team identifies previous support and existing quantitative
and qualitative data in relation to the student and then works closely with the school to minimise
the occurrence of future SDAs through tailored interventions.
Specific resources are allocated at a regional and school level to support each of these priority
groups. Knowledge of the regional focus on improving the performance of these identified
priority groups varies amongst school leaders. Disaggregated student performance targets
aligned to regional targets for priority groups are yet to appear in all school data plans and
Annual Implementation Plans (AIP). Some school leaders refer to discussion on priority groups
as part of regular ARD school visits. The RD acknowledges that this will be a continued regional
priority.
Decisions informed by data regarding the deployment of finite additional resourcing to support
students and children, and the commissioning of regional support to develop capability within
schools, are an evolving practice. Directors allocate specific resources and deploy support in
response to data and school context. The focus is on providing the support that the school
requires and building capability within the school and service to best support the individual
needs of all students.
Improvement strategies
Collaboratively develop an agreed approach to academic case management informed by
evidence, with an established QA process that may be contextualised for each school.
Further develop the data literacy skills of regional and school leaders to disaggregate and
analyse school performance data for identified priority groups and implement effective
intervention strategies to close the gap.
Develop a coordinated approach to the collection and analysis of all data informed by the RLT
to ensure consistency in high quality data-informed practice for all schools and services.
22

3.4 Quality teaching
Findings
Regional leaders outline their belief that effective teaching and learning frameworks are critical
in building capability and delivering quality teaching. This regional belief is conveyed in the
messaging of the region’s focus on doing ‘the right work, right now’. This belief is further refined
in the communication of the following regional leadership challenges for 2022 that include:
‘Every teacher in metro provided with the opportunity to engage in moderation before teaching
and assessment in at least one learning area’; and ‘Every school has developed and
implemented a student case management process’.
Principals are supportive of initiatives to build school leader and teacher capability in priority
areas. The region offers a diverse range of support strategies including face-to-face learning
opportunities, online resources, and advisors to support the building of quality teaching and
learning and to advance the regional agenda. Some principals outline that the significant
disruption to the beginning of the 2022 school year has impacted on their ability to fully engage
with the current regional leadership challenges.
Principals articulate that the clarity of messaging aligned to the regional improvement agendas
has increased, and are supportive of the direction. A frequent comment is that school leaders
feel invigorated by the agenda’s direction and that the focus on the ‘real’ work is appreciated.
Some principals speak of the messaging as being measured, sensible, visionary and inspiring.
There is a large regional teaching and learning support team that is available to assist schools
in AC moderation and case management. The regional team outlines the role as building the
capability of principals and middle leaders to a point where they are skilled and confident to
deliver professional learning to their teaching staff aligned to the regional priorities. Principals
who have engaged in this expertise are able to outline how their own and their middle leaders’
knowledge has grown and express feeling confident to deliver the professional learning to their
teaching staff. A systematic process for evaluating the impact of the support is yet to be
apparent. Consistent use and monitoring of high impact professional learning strategies are yet
to be documented.
School Leaders’ Meetings (SLM) are part of the regional suite of offerings to build principals’
capabilities. Principals acknowledge that these days provide an opportunity for the delivery of
key messages and initiatives aligned to the delivery of teaching and learning. A range of
professional learning days is currently offered to principals and include whole-region, ARD-
aligned and cluster collaboration meetings. Principals articulate that the messaging from the
system, the region and the RD is echoed by the ARD at these meetings and during school
visits. Principals articulate appreciation of the opportunity for collaboration, learning from others
and sharing of practice on these days.
Collegial relationships are a further process for sharing and are apparent across the region.
Principals predominantly speak positively of the professional and personal relationships they
have with colleagues. ARDs actively encourage principals to learn from and share with each
other. Principals speak of some ARDs and LPs working closely with clustered principals on
collaborative inquiry processes to address identified problems of practice. Other principals
speak of their ARD/LP aligning them with other schools from outside their traditional clusters to
enhance their knowledge and understanding of a specific focus area. Principals speak of some
well-established geographical clusters being a key element of the region. Some principals cite
23

multiple examples of cluster collaboration where curriculum, assessment and sharing of
pedagogical practice have occurred. Some principals articulate a lack of opportunities to
engage with other schools to further their learning.
School leaders are consistently aware of the region’s expectations regarding implementing the
AC and the leadership challenges used to provide a sharp focus on this work. The measures to
monitor schools include each school developing a plan to deliver the AC and leaders and
teachers’ engagement in various phases of the moderation process. Principals articulate high
levels of support for the process of deepening curriculum knowledge and moderation
processes. Some principals identify that further work is required to successfully implement
curriculum practices, plans and programs across the region.
Differentiated approaches are employed by ARDs and LPs to provide support for each school’s
improvement journey. Many principals articulate that being able to work long term with the same
supervisor builds a strong working relationship that results in more impactful work. Some
principals comment that their ARD or LP has a strong line of sight into curriculum
implementation through planned classroom visits that include conversations with teachers and
students, and review and discussion of curriculum planning documents and classroom
artefacts. Other principals are less clear regarding their ARD/LP’s line of sight for the enactment
of curriculum implementation. This line of sight is yet to be a consistent practice and some
school leaders articulate variation in their understanding of QA expectations.
Enactment of the four phases of moderation is a key element in the region’s improvement
agenda. The implementation and participation in the M4 phase in 2021, and participation in the
M1 phases in 2022, have been specifically identified as key expectations for the region.
Principals articulate the use of the regional teaching and learning team as a key support
mechanism for implementation of the four phases of moderation. Principals comment that the
support offered by the teaching and learning team is aimed at upskilling school leaders in the
expected practices. Some principals indicate professional learning delivered directly to teachers
would be a more impactful model for teacher PD.
Some principals are able to speak of the ARD or LP having direct impact and engagement in
the M4 phase of moderation, with others articulating that their ARD or LP is less directly
engaged in the M4 process. Consistent QA processes that include feedback and measures of
impact on teacher development and student achievement are yet to be established.
Many regional and school leaders indicate that the recruitment of teachers to the region as a
whole is often over-subscribed within the transfer process. They articulate that the reality of the
process is that some areas of the region are viewed as highly desirable, with other areas within
the region viewed as less so. This perception poses challenges for regional Human Resources
(HR) staff and school leaders.
Early career and beginning teachers are supported by the region in a number of ways. These
include the manager of the Teaching Learning Centre (TLC) being a member of the RLT.
Regional leaders work with the TLC to target programs to support the development of beginning
and early career teachers. A Learning Needs Analysis Survey is undertaken to ascertain the
key professional needs of the group. The 2022 survey identifies the desire for professional
learning in behaviour management, differentiation skills in delivering the curriculum, conducting
difficult conversations, wellbeing, and technology support. The TLC works with beginning
teachers to align them with a beginning teacher mentor. The TLC team outlines that they are a
recent addition to the regional suite of support for teachers and indicate that they are currently
24

building their identity so that all schools are aware of what they are able to offer in building
teachers’ capabilities.
The region and school leaders demonstrate strong understanding and implementation of both
curriculum and assessment practices, and the interconnection between them. Most principals
indicate that to achieve the desired lifts in academic outcomes there needs to be greater focus
and support for developing teacher pedagogy. Most principals articulate that the use of
evidence-informed pedagogical practices is driven from within schools rather than the region. A
number of school leaders articulate that ARDs actively promote the use of visible learning
strategies. School leaders outline that the emphasis on curriculum implementation, moderation
practices and performance could be mirrored in a regional focus on pedagogy to suit the local
context of each school. An understanding of the interconnection of curriculum, assessment and
pedagogical practice for improvement of quality of teaching is yet to be apparent within the
regional priorities. School leaders comment that they would welcome an increased focus and
implementation support from the region in the use of high-yield evidence-based pedagogical
practices.
Strong evidence and understanding of the interconnections within the ECEC team are apparent
with explicit systems and process to support principals, leadership teams and teachers to clarify
how to use evidence-based pedagogy in the early years to support how to teach and what
students need to learn from the curriculum. In addition, there is strong evidence of the work of
the ECEC team in supporting the continuity and alignment of curriculum from kindergarten –
Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline (QKLG) into school – AC.
There are 8785 First Nations students currently enrolled in schools across the region. An overt
focus on the importance of Indigenous education, led by the RD, is a key area for improvement
moving forward. There is movement away from focusing on a percentage measure towards
using specific student numbers to sharpen all school attention on this agenda. The future work
outlined by the Indigenous advisory group is focusing on building all staff cultural competencies
in order to support Indigenous learning.
Improvement strategies
Extend the focus from curriculum and assessment to enhancing pedagogical practice to drive
continuous improvement in quality teaching and student outcomes.
Establish QA processes to ensure the implementation of the AC and moderation practices
across all schools in the region is rigorous, consistent and sustainable.
Review the model for regional professional learning to include measures of impact on changed
teacher practice and student performance.

25

3.5 Collaborative networks and partnerships
Findings
The region has established a diverse range of collaborative networks and partnerships focused
on building professional capability and wellbeing, and on improving outcomes for students and
children. Regional staff members, principals and the wider educational community speak
positively of the region’s ability to foster and support collaborations, from which schools and
early learning centres may learn and grow.
The region has identified a clear and sharp focus for region-wide improvement regarding A-C
LOAs in English. This is reflected in the focus of the full range of collaborative networks and
groups supported across the region that aim to achieve improvements in this area.
Regional team members express a collective appetite for working collaboratively across teams
to ensure the service provided to schools and early learning centres is of a high standard and
leads to improved outcomes for students and children. Regional and school leaders express
appreciation for the autonomy encouraged in the development of professional learning focused
partnerships and groups within and beyond the region.
ARDs are supporting collaborative networks across the region that they encourage to be
independently motivated to learn and innovate. ARDs speak positively of their role in seeking
opportunities to facilitate collaborative learning opportunities and partnerships with a view to
ensuring there is shared accountability and commitment amongst members. Most principals
articulate that some of the most valuable collaborative learning occurs through their interactions
with their ARD. They articulate that in addition to building their leadership capabilities and
instructional leadership skills, interactions with ARDs are establishing effective learning
networks for colleagues to share and learn from each other.
The region is committed to giving principals voice through principal advisory groups, and the
recently formed Principals’ Congress. Advisory groups meet regularly and are chaired by an
ARD. Groups include behaviour, great start, engagement and wellbeing, leadership, student
protection and inclusive practices.
The region is enabling principals and other school leaders to participate in a range of
professional learning networks by supporting a number of CoPs. CoPs are open invitation
networks, supported by ARDs, PATaLs, Principal Advisor Education Services (PAES) and other
regional staff, and are focused on raising and discussing key educational issues in the region.
Region-led CoPs meet on an ‘as need’ basis and cover areas including trauma-informed
practice, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Auslan, inclusion and the early years. Most
principals articulate that CoPs supplement the more formalised regional advisory groups, and
express appreciation for the opportunity to actively participate in targeted and collaborative
professional learning. Many principals detail that sharing of information, findings and strategies
developed through the CoPs varies and comment that they would appreciate further opportunity
to share learnings from other groups.
The ECEC regional team is actively engaged with a range of internal and external partners to
enact the early years and regional priorities. CoPs, advisory groups and project groups enable a
range of internal and external stakeholders to co-construct targeted initiatives and implement
practices in support of the achievement of regional targets and priorities. ECEC team members,
regional staff and principals discuss how intentional collaboration across teams and with ARDs
is elevating the importance of successful early years transitions. Stakeholders from the
26

Department of Child Safety speak positively of the strong, mutually beneficial partnership
formed with ECEC through the Connect 4 Children strategy.
A number of professional clusters are established within the region and operate as independent
professional networks not directly organised through the regional office, including, deputy
principal groups, HOD – Curriculum (HOD-C) groups, head of inclusion groups, learning area
associations and specialist teaching clusters. Principals and ARDs articulate most of these
groups have wide-ranging agendas and priorities, and that they are also supporting teachers
and middle leaders to focus on regional priorities.
Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) and principal association representatives comment that
there is a strong collaborative relationship with the RD and regional office staff. They share their
appreciation for the value the region places on their advice and consultation. They outline that
issues raised through these consultation channels are viewed as an opportunity for
collaborative resolution.
The region has well established processes and practices to facilitate communication with the
centre. Many regional and centre staff articulate that collaboration is strongest in reacting to
matters requiring immediate action. Centre staff comment that the region responds quickly and
decisively. Regional staff indicate that communication and collaboration between the region and
the centre’s strategic and operational branches are yet to be fully realised in all areas. Regional
staff identify the need to be proactive in engaging with the centre, particularly in promoting
regional teaching and learning priorities.
External moderation is a key driver for the establishment of school clusters, particularly related
to building shared curriculum expectations within the region. Currently, some schools are yet to
work in cluster arrangements or undertake external moderation. A number of schools are yet to
be clear regarding how to effectively establish and participate in clusters or groups of like
schools. They indicate they would appreciate targeted support, guidelines and direction in
gaining the most out of their collaborative arrangements, particularly in relation to external
moderation.
The region facilitates a number of interagency partnerships particularly through the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Services team with the development of a region-wide database of
external support services. Regional staff highlight the benefit of the database in supporting
schools to identify specific external support for First Nations children and students.
More broadly, schools describe a strong desire to further build external partnerships that directly
align to achieving regional and school targets. Many principals indicate they would highly value
support from the region in identifying new partnerships. They articulate an appetite for support
in measuring the impact of existing partnerships in achieving regional priorities.
Local Members of Parliament speak of the positive relationship they have with regional office
staff, schools and early learning centres within their electorates. They share appreciation of the
region’s responsiveness. Some advise they would appreciate a more rigorous approach to
updating on key staff changes within their electorate and the regional office.
The regional student protection team has established partnerships with the Department of
Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs and the Queensland Police Service (QPS) to
support young people engaged in the youth justice system. Two court liaison officers provide
support to young people, their families and schools in continuing their engagement with
education. Stakeholder meetings are held on a regular basis to ensure all possible available
27

support and interventions are in place. Through these partnerships, proactive programs have
been implemented utilising youth justice funding to assist in reducing recidivism.
Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families is facilitated through
three school Community Liaison Officers (CLO) and two regional Community Partnership
Officers (CPO). These officers indicate that the quantity and complexity of social, health and
education issues affecting these families are increasing. They articulate that a key part of their
role is to establish enduring partnerships with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders
and leaders, and with Indigenous community organisations. They acknowledge these
partnerships and collaborations are in the early stages of establishment and are optimistic for
the future possibilities.
Improvement strategies
Provide clear advice and support to schools in establishing and participating in effective
collaborative teaching and learning communities to share best practice, achieve regional
priorities and celebrate success.
Establish consistent processes to enable regional advisory groups, CoPs and other
collaborative networks to share and communicate findings, strategies and information to all
principals and school leaders across the region.
Identify new external partnerships and evaluate the impact of existing external partnerships
aligned to regional priorities.

28

3.6 Targeted use of resources
Findings
The region has significant human and material resources available for deployment to schools
and ECEC services to deliver high level educational outcomes and drive improvement. Across
and within regional teams there is an articulated shared culture of service orientation and a
focus on capability development. Principals detail that regional offices act as a support and
service organisation to schools to ensure that every child gets a great start and every student in
the region is succeeding.
Principals articulate a high level of satisfaction with the targeted support from regional education
services staff. Principals advise there are multiple pathways to access that support. Some
principals and regional staff express the belief that there is a lack of clarity as to which is the
most appropriate pathway and that there is a risk that the support is not always coordinated.
Variation in the approach, responsiveness and quality of support from the corporate services
area is articulated.
The current approach to providing a range of support services to schools is predominantly
deemed to work well to provide schools with the support they require. To address perceived
disconnect in service provision and to better align their services to the region’s priorities, the
region is pursuing a structured, strategic and data-informed approach to commissioning of both
human and material resources. To operationalise this, the region is developing the
Commissioning of Support in Metropolitan Region framework. This draft framework articulates
the intended principles, processes, governance and measures for providing available human
and material resources to support regional priorities that align to the commitment of giving every
child a great start and every student succeeding. The draft framework has an equity basis to
support schools where the greatest need is identified. Draft documentation outlining the policy
and procedural approach for commissioning work is aligned to the effective and equitable
distribution of resources. It outlines that criteria for consideration include threats to meeting
targets and declining measures compared with similar schools. It additionally accounts for high-
profile cohorts such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students in Out-of-Home
Care (OOHC), students with disability and English as an Additional Language or Dialect
(EAL/D) students.
The RD and other regional leaders articulate the purpose of the proposed commissioning model
is to ‘provide schools with the resources they need, not necessarily what they want’, to build
capability within schools and services and to focus on investing resourcing in a purposeful and
targeted manner to achieve outcomes. Clarity and understanding of the new commissioning
process in the regional offices are yet to be realised.
Principals express valuing the presence of regionally-based student services staff working
within their schools aligned to their school needs, and in some cases supporting individual
students. The proposed Student Services Request for Support 2022 fact sheet advises of the
range of regional support available in the form of specialist staff provided through the students
with disability resourcing model, such as therapists, nurses and Advisory Visiting Teachers
(AVT), and the range of capability development and advisory services available to students.
Principals, particularly those in secondary schools, express a strong degree of concern
regarding regional governance and allocation of the guidance officer workforce, the provision of
sufficient and timely communication, and representation in leadership discussions. Principals
29

advise that guidance officers receive confirmation of their school placement close to the end of
the year and this impacts their confidence in the system and their personal wellbeing.
Regional staff and stakeholders communicate an increasing complexity of the work of senior
guidance officers and guidance officers. Guidance services workforce and principals articulate
that these pressures have been compounded by the region’s sharp focus on A-C achievement,
particularly for schools in challenging communities, actions to reduce reliance on SDAs in the
early years, and requirements to effectively case manage excluded students into a successful
enrolment or alternative pathways.
Some school leaders and stakeholders express a level of concern regarding the unintended
consequences of school-purchased processes for student services staff such as Speech
Language Pathologists (SLP) and guidance officers. Some principals additionally express
concern regarding the region’s ‘buy-in’ process for Whole School Support – Student Learning
Resource (WSS-SLR) resources. It is articulated that the fiscal capacity for some schools to
purchase Full-time equivalent (FTE) support staff results in the re-deployment of staff to
different schools. School leaders advise this may not always align with the needs of the school.
Additionally, the process of purchasing additional FTE staff in the student support area places
pressure on the limited workforce. Principals articulate that those who decide not to buy into
regional resources are unsupported when students with highly complex and challenging
behaviours enrol.
School leaders acknowledge a positive shift in the responsiveness of the region to provide
some resources and supports as required. School leaders and system stakeholders articulate
the region’s strong, timely and effective response to conditions outside school control, such as
natural disasters, emergent high-profile issues and complex student presentations. Principals
affected by the recent floods praise the operational and wellbeing support they received from
regional leaders and staff.
Regional staff express a strong and shared commitment to providing quality services that
support the delivery of student outcomes aligned to regional priorities. The clear focus on
student outcomes as a regional priority results in some regional staff advising that their support
needs do not receive similar attention.
School leaders understand that technical assistance and expertise are available to them
through the PAES role, directors and their ARD. This technical assistance and expertise are
highly valued. School leaders consistently articulate that requests for resourcing support may
be raised directly with their ARD and are responded to in a timely manner.
Regional corporate services support is available to schools. Some school leaders clearly and
strongly indicate that infrastructure, human resource and finance support from the region is
timely and effective. Variation exists in the experiences articulated by other school leaders.
Some stakeholders and community representatives articulate that discrepancies in school
utilisation and enrolment practices across the region are a key area of concern. Regional data
indicates broad variation across schools in utilisation as measured by student enrolment
compared to the school’s built capacity. For some schools, enrolment growth and demand
significantly exceed their capacity and for other schools enrolment demand is in decline
resulting in excess existing capacity. A view articulated is that enrolment practices in some
schools through the use of excellence programs and marketing to increase enrolments beyond
local catchments potentially drives unintended consequences for other neighbouring schools.
30

Some stakeholders and school leaders outline that significant implications are apparent in some
schools including infrastructure and resourcing demands, community perceptions and
residualisation effects. Some stakeholders identify that a system or regional approach is
required to determine innovative solutions that address these challenges and maximise
utilisation for all schools.
Improvement strategies
Provide clarification and further communication regarding the commissioning process to
improve understanding and transparency across regional teams and schools.
Consider ways to enhance consistency of the service delivery experience for schools in the
support provided by regional corporate services – infrastructure, human resources and finance.
Develop metrics to measure the impact of the provision of support services to schools, including
the impact of the ‘buy in’ process.
Expand regional messaging of ‘Care and Enable’ to capture regional, corporate and
administrative staff, including consistent wellbeing and self-care messaging across regional
offices.
31